His paternal line leads via Graf Top, Graf Grannus, Grannus and Graphit directly to the eponym of the ‘Grande’ prize. In addition, Grey Top has Hannover's legendary producer of jumpers, Gotthard, in his pedigree no fewer than five times. In addition, there is a highly successful dam line, which originally came from Holstein. These are the ingredients that made the typey premium stallion of the Verden licensing 2009 the highly esteemed Grande Prize winner 10 years later.

Grey Top was born at Emiliano Lonzi's farm in Fauglia Pisa, Italy. He is a full brother to Linn Zakariasson’s internationally successful mare, Graf Magna, who was already successful in 1m55 metre classes in the year of Grey Top's licensing. Their dam, Silver Dream, achieved a top placing in the free jumping competition for offspring from the Hanoverian Jumper Breeding Program in Verden as a three-year-old and then moved to Italy. At the subsequent stallion sales, the Celle State Stud acquired Grey Top, who immediately enjoyed great popularity among breeders. In his performance test he not only confirmed his enormous jumping talent under saddle, but also convinced with his good rideability and elastic basic gaits.

Already at the age of four he collected his first ribbons with Joachim Winter in novice (A) and elementary (L) tests for young showjumpers. One year later his first foals were sold at auctions in Verden. His first licensed sons also come from this first crop. One of them is Gunfire PJ (bred by Dr. Bonny-Jasmin Jacob), who became Hanoverian jumper champion at the age of five and is currently collecting ribbons with Pato Muente on the Sunshine Tour in Spain...To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber

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